Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I am in a quandry as to how to get into pituophis.

If I buy a hatchling from a breeder, is there not a distinct possibility that I could invest years in a snake that never outgrows its juvi personality? Would I be better off to find an adult that has a proven record of handleability?

Every care sheet I have read seems to recommend hatchlings as opposed to adults. What is your experience in this area?

Thanks for your help!

It is impossible to predict the adult disposition of any snake species.

I would recommend getting a young one, and handle it fairly often (but not after it feeds) - odds are it will be fairly tame when it becomes an adult, and watching a snake go from hatchling to 5 feet (or 6-7-8 in the case of some pits) is a tremendous experience.

One thing I've noticed with my new little pit - he seems to digest meals faster than corns/kings do - so be careful not to underfeed a little one.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

I have found that most pits don't have a "juvenile personality," they may be somewhat defensive, but adults are far more imposing. There are pros and cons to buying an adult snake over a hatchling, but each snake had it's own personality. If disposition is your main concern, I'd get an adult that is mild mannered - that way you know what to expect.

Tim

Third Eye

My take is this. Most are a little feisty right out of the egg but eventually calm down. Others start out laid back and remain so. And then there are those that are a ball of fire from the beginning and never calm down. This is not much of a problem when they are babies but when the snake doing the hissing and biting is 6' long it can be an inconvenience at times.

If you were looking for a Pit that you wanted to be a sure thing laid back snake I would suggest getting one that was at least a yearling. By that age you should be able to determine to a fair degree what its personality is like.

Phil

Have you noticed any genetic tendencies in behaviour ??

My adult WC female is almost like a corn snake. She has never bitten me, does tail rattle and occasionally hisses - but the hissing seems to be reserved for the presence of cats (I'm guessing she had to fight one or three in the wild, feral cats are everywhere up here).

My little 14" WC male is also extremely docile.

I guess I'll find out when they breed a few years from now, but it would be great to have a line that is for the most part well tempered.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

I agree with you micheal...I believe it's all genetic..I've bought from 1 supplier and they're ALL docile..the others that I can't trace(pet stores, ect.)come from.. are spotty..( agitated or nippy). If we can give the world a better pet, why shouldn't we try.colors are cool..so's no color..but if we can breed personality into a reptile..damn, that'd be cool!!..and if you look at the pits..there's something there...
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Richard Evans

no not THAT one